The 29/1
Official Podcast of the West Ottawa High School Athletic Program. 29 Sports, One Team. The show that brings you into the lives of student athletes, coaches and other faces in the Panther Sports Community. Bringing you the stories you might otherwise never hear. Join Rodney Vellinga and Athletic Director Bill Kennedy as they dive in with you to get to know each other a little bit better.
The 29/1
"You're Gonna Be On The Wall Now" : With The 4X800 State Championship Team Of Ella Wierks, Ava Porras, Emma Gunnett & Collette Wierks
When dedication, talent, coaching and friendship come together, championships follow. That's the story of Ella Wierks, Ava Porras, Emma Gunnett, and Collette Wierks, four remarkable student-athletes, who along with many others, are part of a West Ottawa XC and Track & Field Team powerhouse. These extraordinary runners take us behind the scenes of their journey to the 4X800 State Championship and how they followed it up with a National Runner Up finish three weeks later. With raw honesty, they reveal the "shared suffering" that bonds them, describing how pushing through the "pain cave" together creates both faster times and unbreakable friendships. Their story isn't just about athletic achievement—it's about teenage girls supporting each other through victories and setbacks while creating memories that will last a lifetime. The foursome recounts their breathtaking state championship race, where despite illness and pressure, they executed a perfect strategy to defend their 4x800 relay title, won the year before with Notre Dame bound athlete Helen Sachs. You'll feel like you're trackside as they describe the electricity of that moment and the pure joy of celebrating together. Then they take us to historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, where their journey culminated in a 2nd place finish at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor. The girls speak about Coach Kyle Barnes as an important catalyst behind their success, creating a culture that balances intense training with genuine care for his athletes. Through his leadership, these girls developed not just as runners but as leaders themselves, learning lessons that extend far beyond the track. Whether you're a dedicated runner or simply appreciate stories of exceptional teamwork, this conversation will inspire you. It showcases how young athletes can achieve extraordinary things when they combine talent with friendship, guidance, and unwavering belief in each other. Tune in to experience a remarkable story of four friends who ran not just for themselves, but for each other—and found championship glory along the way.
This episode was recorded on August 13, 2025.
Podcasts now dropping at 5pm every Sunday evening for that late weekend chill, or listen Monday AM during that morning commute or workout. Please like, follow, subscribe, or leave a review. Even share with someone who might like to listen. Thanks for taking the time to get to know each other a little bit better. The people who make West Ottawa Athletics what it is. Go WO!
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Special thanks to Laura Veldhof Photography.
I just remember one question one of the reporters asked me was, what does it mean to be with a team or do it for each other? And I think that just helped me try to enjoy it a lot and recognize all the work we put in. Yeah, I just remember trying to enjoy it a lot. I was like, this is why we ran it, you know? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Hey everybody, this is Rodney Valinga with the West Ottawa High School Athletic Program. And you're listening to the 29.1 Podcast. 29 sports, one team. The show that brings you into the lives of student-athletes, coaches, and other faces in the Panther sports community. Bringing you the stories you might otherwise never hear. Join myself and Athletic Director Bill Kennedy as we dive in with you to get to know each other a little bit better. When dedication, talent, coaching, and friendships come together, championships follow.
SPEAKER_02:Today on the 29.1 Podcast, we are joined by the 4x8 Relay team of Ella Wirks, Ava Porres, Emma Gunnett, and Colette Wirks. We talk about the thrill of winning a state title, the journey to Philly for New Balance Nationals, and take a look ahead at the upcoming season.
SPEAKER_01:Their story isn't just about athletic achievement. It's about teenage girls supporting each other through victories and setbacks, while creating memories that will last
SPEAKER_02:a lifetime. The 4x8 Relay Team, up next on the 29.1 Podcast. Let's get it.
SPEAKER_01:Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the 29.1 Podcast. I'm your host, Rodney Villenga, and I'm here again with Panthers Athletic Director Bill Kennedy. Both high school and college are just a week or two away. as another summer has pretty much flown by. Bill, it doesn't even have to be September anymore. But with that said, there are a lot of great things fall has to offer, including the exciting fall sports season. Today, we sit down with four athletes who have made a significant impact in both the girls' cross country and track and field teams here at West Ottawa High School over the past few years. They've all been crowned a state champion at some point in their careers. and have or will have their pitcher up in the hallowed State Champs Hall, recently named, beside the main gym four years to come. This past spring, they competed together to win the 4x800 and the Division I track and field state championships at East Kentwood, and in June, traveled to Philadelphia to compete in the New Balance Nationals outdoor at historic Franklin Field, where they finished second in the nation in the 4x800 and third in the distance national Medley Relay. And it's our pleasure to ask, who is it?
SPEAKER_00:Okay, my name is Ella Wirks. Ava Porras. Emma Gunnett. Colette Wirks.
SPEAKER_02:Welcome, guys. Super excited to see you all here. First and foremost, I'm excited because it means that you're probably have already got your training in for the day, right? So now you can... Decompress a little bit. You guys see me at cross country meets all the time. Kennedy Crossing, right? Kennedy Crossing. I mean, I've got my own crosswalk. T-shirts? Named right away. Any T-shirts coming? I'd buy the T-shirt. Kyle's actually made me a T-shirt that says stay off the course because that's typically what I'm yelling at Kennedy Crossing because you guys know cross country fans do not understand that the line means that's where the people run. So super excited to have you guys here.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's gonna be a lot of fun. You know, the main reason you guys are here today is because of this great success you've had running together as a group of four. But of all the incredible runs you've had together, and I'm sure there's been a lot, there's one run that stands out to me, and that's the Rocky Steps. The Rocky Steps in Philadelphia. Ava, you want to tell us about that? Like, what you guys did?
SPEAKER_03:So, it was kind of like... It started from my dad. He wanted to go. He was like, I'm going to the Rocky steps. We're going to the Rocky steps. And then it kind of was like drilled into everybody else. I was like, all right, we're going to the Rocky steps. Like it's not negotiable. So you get to like the Rocky steps on like, I think it was the last day. And everybody's like, okay, we're going to do the Rocky step, like TikTok video or whatever. And we brought like all our medals. Yeah. And just played the Rocky song. And we're like running up the Rocky stairs. Everybody's like, kind of watching us and stuff and we're kind of just laughing and having fun with it but it was kind of like it was like a joke but it was also kind of fun because it was like a serious like accomplishment and like the rocky steps were like A big accomplishment for him.
SPEAKER_02:That might be the one run that I have completed in my life that I could complete with you all. So that's good.
SPEAKER_01:Huffing and puffing. Huffing and puffing. A
SPEAKER_02:couple summers ago, my wife and I did the trip there, and you have to go there and get your picture taken with the statue and all those things.
SPEAKER_01:How old are you guys going across? How old are you?
SPEAKER_00:We're going to be juniors, so I'm 16.
SPEAKER_01:You're 16. 17. 17.
SPEAKER_00:I'm 18.
SPEAKER_01:You're 18.
SPEAKER_00:16.
SPEAKER_01:Did you guys even know what, now I know you might have known Ava because your dad's a Rocky movie fanatic, I heard. But did the rest of you even know what that was going there?
SPEAKER_00:We knew it was a thing of like, yeah, you got to go run up the Rocky steps. There's this whole playlist and everything, but we've never actually seen the movie. But yeah, we went there in, I think it was eighth grade when we went to nationals. That was your first time. So we took some pictures, yeah. Right. But I haven't been there since.
SPEAKER_01:That's 1976, Bill. That's before I was born. That's before you're born? I was already alive. But yeah, it's the famed Philadelphia Museum of Art. If you've never watched it, you guys go watch it. It's really great. They do this whole montage of him running through the streets before. Big gray sweats on. There's parts where he's sprinting. There's no way he keeps his pace up the whole way. You're laughing because you've seen it. I think they would always like just cut it to him sprinting and then they do another cut to him sprinting. But his pace is incredible. Ava, have you seen the entire Rocky
SPEAKER_02:franchise?
SPEAKER_03:Probably when I was little. I think my dad used to look. I think we have every single DVD. He was obsessed with it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah,
SPEAKER_03:probably.
SPEAKER_01:What was the rest of the summer like for you guys? Is the summertime like July a little bit of a break for you? Maybe Emma, tell us about what's your July like?
SPEAKER_00:Well, we usually after our track season, we take like a two week break just completely off. And then we just like start building back up into that training and like add a little bit more mileage each week.
SPEAKER_01:And Colette, same thing for you. What's July like?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So our two week break, we usually go to the beach a lot. We went camping a little bit. And then, yeah, go back to practice, start building mileage again.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's a great place to live on the lakeshore here with the beach. I mean, you're so close. Lots to do.
SPEAKER_02:Emma, you're obviously headed to Grand Valley. Did you kind of stick with the West Ottawa crew as far as some training throughout the course of the summer? Are you kind of off doing your own thing now?
SPEAKER_00:Well, like the first week back, I went to their practices and stuff, but... GV training is a little bit different. We don't start workouts until like the fourth week, but they were doing workouts their second week back. So then I started like training a little bit more on my own.
SPEAKER_01:You guys just got back from team camp, right up in Bel Air. I talked to your mom and she's like, it's a lot of noise and a lot of food.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:What's that experience like team camp each year? Ella, what's it like just to go there and doing that?
SPEAKER_00:This was our first year going, so we haven't gone because we didn't do cross in freshman year, and I couldn't go last year. Oh, this is your first time going? This was our first experience there. All right,
SPEAKER_01:so tell me
SPEAKER_00:about it. Yeah, it was definitely fun. It was just nice to be with all the girls because we see each other every day at practice, but then we also have these deeper team talks about goals or mental things you struggle with and just holding each other accountable. And then there's the training together, meals, like we'll play games. eat snacks, watch movies.
SPEAKER_01:What kind of games are you playing?
SPEAKER_00:We played, what was it called, the color one? Oh, hues
SPEAKER_03:and cues, and then the last night we had a small circle of BS going for cards.
SPEAKER_01:All right. Bill's drawing a blank. He's not much of a game guy.
SPEAKER_02:I'm not, yeah. Cards and, like, board games and stuff, just for whatever reason, not my jam.
SPEAKER_01:No, it's just not your jam at all.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. He likes to bust me up about
SPEAKER_01:it. I do like to bust him about it because I'm a bit of a geek with games, but we won't get into that. Emma, so this is the first one you haven't been to in quite some time. Was it a little bit of, oh, I kind of miss this, or are you ready to move on?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I definitely missed it. It was something I look forward to before each cross-country season, just to get to bond more with all the girls. So, I mean, it was bittersweet.
SPEAKER_01:And Ava, you have to be a mama duck now. Is that your new role?
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah. Got to get my ducks in a line. But, no, it's fun. It's kind of like a different role. I've never had to really, like, I mean, you get to know everyone on the team, but it's kind of a new real role that you have to get into and get to know them on a deeper level and really...
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because freshmen coming in, I mean, it's a pretty intimidating team to step onto.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Will you lean on those girls that have kind of come before you that have been in those leadership roles to pick their brain on, hey... how did you kind of handle moving into this type of leadership position?
SPEAKER_03:Definitely for sure. I think my freshman year kind of really helped me get into the leadership role because I was best friends with Megan Postma and she is like, she's a really good leader. She was always,
SPEAKER_02:she's the queen of the mama ducks. Yeah,
SPEAKER_03:for sure. Queen of the mama ducks. And the graduating class before me was like, it was really big. And so there was a lot of leaders to look up to. So I definitely have gotten like a lot of helpful things from them to take and learn.
SPEAKER_01:You guys have this, you know, great success. And there's so much we could talk about because, I mean, there's so many different seasons with what you do. There's a fall cross country, then there's spring. And then it just keeps repeating itself. You know, the main reason we're here today is for those things you've done. But, you know, to be successful like this, you guys have really had a lifetime talking to your parents. You've had this lifetime of being active people. I was kind of. I wasn't really blown away, but I was like, oh, this is like a really healthy group with their choices they're making and all that kind of stuff. Let's go to really Ella and Colette, because, I mean, you're twins. Talk to your mom. Like, hey, I'd like to give them some independence. Like, they do everything together anyways. You know what I mean? So it's like, but you guys did a lot of stuff growing up, including like rock climbing was a thing that you guys did. Colette, you want to, or maybe even still do it. Tell us how you got involved in that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I guess the way we got involved was we'd go camping and... The first times we did it was outdoor climbing, I think. And there's not a lot of places to go around here, but I remember one time we went to Montana And that was really cool. And there's the gym. There's a couple of gyms like downtown here. So sometimes we go there. It's definitely harder like in season and school and practice to go every once in a while. Yeah, we have a big race on
SPEAKER_01:Tuesday. We're not going rock climbing.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So over our two week break, we went a couple of times. So, yeah, it's not a thing that like we have a lot of extra time to do, but I definitely like it. And
SPEAKER_01:your mom was an instructor for a long time, right, Ella?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think in college she led a lot of hiking. It's more hiking than climbing, I think. So you like summit mount. So she would do a lot of that stuff.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, who's a big rock climber is Coach Blake.
SPEAKER_00:Coach
SPEAKER_02:Blake is a monster on a mountain. And Natalie, that's where she got all of that grip strength that helped with pole vault was through that rock climbing.
SPEAKER_01:I talked to your parents, Ava. They said you were kind of involved in so many stuff like soccer and t-ball. But they said two things really stood out is you're always cheering the loudest. Is that a kind of a good descriptor of her, you guys?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, she's definitely one of the loudest and most... extroverted people on the team but it's really helpful because she's so encouraging and I feel like she knows everyone really well so just is able to hold people accountable and give the right cues, I guess, during workouts.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. And that's an important thing. Yeah. And as we were sitting down to talk about this, I'm kind of reflecting back on getting to know all of you over the years. Ava, I specifically remember you and Addie as seventh grade cross country runners at Kennedy Crossing and just how outgoing and excitable you were. They were seventh
SPEAKER_03:graders. They were
SPEAKER_02:bound full with energy, just ready to go. So We
SPEAKER_03:have, like, multiple photos of me from the season, and it's me jumping up and down on, like, the sideline. It's me in the midair and just jumping and cheering, like, Emma on specifically. There's one, and it's just, it's
SPEAKER_00:funny. I mean, it's nice for track, especially because for cross country, we can't cheer each other on because we're all, like, in the same race, you know? So for, like, track, because, like, I'm more mid-distance, and, like, Ava's usually doing, like, the two-mile or something, so she can cheer me on during my 800 or, like, 400 or whatever. And then I can cheer on during the two months.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, cross country is really just a sea of parents, siblings, and grandparents for the most part, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And
SPEAKER_01:so to have your teammates actually pulling for you during a race must be pretty exciting to do. Emma, you did so many different sports as a kid, swimming, gymnastics, softball. Any favorite sports from back when you were little?
SPEAKER_00:I really liked softball, honestly. I had to quit that for track, but I really liked that, and I was a pitcher, so that was really fun to
SPEAKER_02:do. That would have maybe helped us a little bit on the diamond over the last couple of years, but you got it done on the track, so I can't complain.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, the older you get, you got to start picking something that you're going to stay with, right? And Ava, you were nicknamed Wheels as well?
SPEAKER_03:Mm-hmm. Yeah,
SPEAKER_01:one of those bases. That's by Burkholz, right? Addie Burkholz nicknamed you that or
SPEAKER_03:not? No, I think it was because I was in Allendale at that time. Oh, you were? Okay. Everyone on my team just kind of nicknamed me Wheels because I'd try to get to the bases as fast as possible.
SPEAKER_01:Well, that's like a good precursor. Like, hey, she was called Wheels when she was little. All right, there's a good chance she can move pretty fast. A couple of you went to Lakewood, right? Did you go to Lakewood?
SPEAKER_00:I went to Wakazoo.
SPEAKER_01:You went to Wakazoo. Cause you guys did girls on the run when you were younger.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I did that in third and fourth grade.
SPEAKER_01:Can you kind of tell me what that, what that is, what that wasn't kind of what that did for you?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. It's a thing for like elementary school girls, third to fifth grade, I think. And then you just like, it's an afterschool thing. And then you like go with a bunch of other girls, like your age. And then usually like parents coach, like moms. And then you just have a like fun practice and it's just like a good, like, pre-thing if you're interested in running but you know you don't want to be like totally involved in like a team sport yeah
SPEAKER_01:it's not totally serious either right it's a lot for being involved having self-confidence did anybody else do that when they were younger here or no you did it too what was like for you to be involved in that as a youngster
SPEAKER_03:it definitely was what like kind of sparked like the competitiveness in running i did it with addy at sheldon wood so it's really that was kind of like where we got really close and stuff and so it was just kind of like That spark that started it, I like the competitiveness of it.
SPEAKER_01:You're smiling like you're saying competitive.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's like the 5K race we ran with her brother, and we were trying to beat him the whole time. So it was really fun and not too serious, but me and Addie took it really seriously. This is what we're doing. We're going to get good at it. I
SPEAKER_01:think your mom told me the first race you did, I think Addie finished first, and then you were second. And her mom was somewhere on the course waiting for you to come by. And then somebody goes, oh, yeah, she was here like three or four minutes ago, five minutes ago. She's long gone.
SPEAKER_02:I know that Coach Barnes has really poured into kind of girls on the run and run woe and really trying to build that running culture here at West Ottawa. I'm fortunate enough to say that I hired Coach Barnes. What's it like kind of getting to know him and his love for running and kind of what he's pouring into the program?
SPEAKER_03:I think it's safe to say he's kind of like all like, a best friend and a coach in one he's there for like everything not just like sports but his knowledge really helps in the sport like dealing with whether it's like injury or you're just going through like a tough week like he's gonna help you like come out of that and like ultimately I would I don't think any of us would be where we are without him
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, we always kind of, like, joke about how he's, like, our second dad. Oh, really? Because, like, we always, like, see him so much, especially during the summer. And, I mean, a lot of people, I feel like, when they first meet him, think he's, like, pretty intimidating. But he definitely has, like, a softer side where he's, like, you know, able to, like, joke around and just, like, have fun. But then he also has the serious side. He, like, turns on when, you know, we have to, like, get the work done at practice. Yeah. But you always know that he wants you to be the best that you can and will do anything that he can possibly do to help you succeed.
SPEAKER_01:And that's kind of what a good parent does too, right? Like there's times you're not going to like them.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, he definitely knows each of us really well, I think. So he knows what kind of training we need. I think that's definitely gotten better over the years. And then, but he also knows when to just make fun of people, honestly. Oh, really? And just have fun. But yeah, he definitely sees all the potential. So that's definitely helped us get where we have.
SPEAKER_01:And it's really fun to be around that family too.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:He also seems really eager to point fun at himself from time to time as well, right? I mean, from what I see on Instagram. Oh,
SPEAKER_03:yeah. Definitely.
SPEAKER_01:What kind of stuff does he do? What does he do?
SPEAKER_03:We're a big photo... people on media day and stuff we have a lot of like just funny random photos and we're all like don't post them don't post them and he of course and it's the only ones they post yeah he posts like media day part two and it's like all of him all of us and it's just it's funny we have a good time
SPEAKER_01:it's kind of like when you take that live photo on your phone when it's like really official the still but then if you press on what's really happening in the in the photo i always think that's hilarious yeah it's kind of like it kind of goes with
SPEAKER_02:that yeah i knew we We had somebody different. So I hired Coach Barnes in the offseason after my first year as AD here. We had Coach Rayann Hart was our coach prior to him. And she was a runner at Central Michigan. And she's the one that actually told me, hey, you need to talk to Danielle Barnes because she's trying to get a counselor job. And she was a stud runner at Michigan. And I talked to Danielle. And she's like, actually, my husband's really looking for a coaching gig. Talk to him. We get to the summertime. And I look out into the hallway out in front of the athletic office and there are foam rollers and Norma techs and Thera guns, like going like crazy. And I'm like, what is happening? Like, I've never seen this before, but that's, you know, tied to his, his job and the work that he does at grand Valley. And then kind of bringing that to a high school program. When I show up at meat day, the West Ottawa tent looks very different from most other teams. Maybe talk a little bit about that. Like, what that does from a mental standpoint as you arrive at meets and you guys just seem more dialed than most of the other teams.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I feel like we have a very like specific routine before races, you know, he's like an hour out, you know, make sure like you're eating enough food so you can like feel your body. And then we start rolling out. And then after that we do like activation stuff. And then we get into like our drills and we're ready to actually warm up.
SPEAKER_03:Recovery is like a, huge part of our program and so there's always tools like around there's never anything that's we're lacking in recovery and so going into a meet like just knowing that it kind of really helps you because like a lot of it is physical but most of it I would argue is mental and so when you know your body's being taken care of it is a lot easier on your mind you're like okay my body's prepared my mind's prepared I'm ready to go and like You do look around at other teams and you're like, there's just backpacks everywhere and like few recovery tools, maybe like an individual one here and there. But like you come to our tent and there's Theraguns, R8s, rollers. We now do cupping. We have cupping. You have cupping at the tent? Yeah. Wow. It just stays in our box. We have hair ties, hair gel, literally anything you can think of. We just keep adding to it like every week.
SPEAKER_01:That's a lot. Does it ever blow your mind that you really are being coached by– And I'm going to say this arguably, not only one of the best coaches in the state of Michigan, but arguably one of the best coaches in the country. Whether it's the top 50, top 100 or whatever, he's definitely in that group.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think it just helps a lot knowing his training prepares us really well. And just we started doing visualization stuff. And he does a lot of mental preparation, holding each other accountable and just having the culture that he brought. of shared suffering. And then this year, our slogan, I guess, is like every point matters. So telling like everyone contributes to the team and can make each other better. I think that helps just being mentally prepared and then trusting his training.
SPEAKER_01:Let's jump into some of those phrases. I talked to your coach, I believe it was last night. And I said, hey, I know you guys got some phrases and stuff. What are a couple of them now? You brought up shared suffering. And what was the other one? Every point matters. Every point matters. What does that kind of do for a team to have that type of mantra?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so with our sport, a lot of it is being willing to push yourself. Lactic
SPEAKER_01:acid. Here you are again.
SPEAKER_00:So you have to be willing to go to the pain cave and handle it. And it's really nice, I guess, to just do that with other people. And I'm really grateful to have such a good team to... run with and the culture of our team is great and that's what Coach Kyle and everyone else has made and I'm really grateful for it. It definitely makes the sport a lot more meaningful and worth it to know that you're all doing it together for each other. To
SPEAKER_01:be part of a team and that's what we're all doing this for anyways because you're going to have days where everything is successful. There's times when it's not and when it's all said and done, what do you got? Alright, let's get to That 4x800 championship. May 31st. Yeah, May 31. EK almost every year nowadays, right? EK,
SPEAKER_02:Rockford kind of alternate. They do like two years on, two years off. Because it's a... Hosting the D1 state track meet is a massive undertaking. You have all obviously been there. I've been there the last number of years. It is... Logistics. Logistics and tents and parking and concessions. It is... absolute massive. You see the worry that an athletic director has to deal with here? It stresses me out just looking at it. I think about like, holy cow. One, we could never host it. Our track facility is just not big enough. But yeah, it's a massive undertaking. So they alternate every other year. And both amazing facilities for the state meet.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, no doubt about it. Our school won it last year too. Three of you were on that team. We're going to try and stay more on this year. Talking with Kyle, he goes, you know, Started at the beginning of track season and says the fastest four last year doesn't matter. Ava, you weren't on the team the year before. Tell us about your history with the 4x800 because this was a little bit of a redemption tour for you, if you will.
SPEAKER_03:It definitely was. I had a goal. I think it was my sophomore year. Yeah, it would have been my sophomore year to be on the 4x8 because 4x8 is one of my favorite events. And so I had a really rough season. Mentally, it was really struggling. Physically, it was struggling. And it was kind of like, It really stung. I was like, this is my one goal. I don't care if I make it for anything else. The 4x8 is like, that's my event. I want to be on it. And so just seeing results day after day, it was like, you're not going to get on it pretty much. And then there was one last meet where it was like, this is kind of the final deciding factor, whether you could be in it or not. And it was just... I don't remember what I ran I feel like it was probably like 220 something but it was like I ran that time I looked at the results and I was like there it is like it's done right there and so that was definitely really hard and hurtful and so it I was really glad for them because we had a amazing 4x8 team but it's also like that like oh like I really wanted to be on that team so then coming back this year it was like 4x8 like I'm on the 4x8 there's no other option and it wasn't like I'm gonna try like it was like no I'm making the 4x8 all year and so I just kept like repeating that to myself telling everyone else like I was like no I'm making the 4x8 and so all training it was like working on the speed but also I'm a distance heavy person so I go distance and then we started introducing speed and then time started to slowly come and I had I don't remember what race it was but I had a pretty good breakthrough and it was like getting back into my old times and then it was like all right I can do this like and he kept putting me on like four by eights when we needed to run fast and I was like kind of helped building my confidence and stuff and I was like all right I've got this spot like I just need to keep working hard because it never ends like It doesn't end. No, there's no place. You can't just level off and keep running the same times. You're always hungry for more and stuff. And so it was just constant meet after meet.
SPEAKER_01:And you were part of that team when Megan Postma got injured too, weren't you?
SPEAKER_03:I was, yeah. So it was just, you would remember that and you're like, I want the state championship. Like there's a legacy to uphold, but there's also remembering my freshman and sophomore year when it didn't end the way I wanted to. And so it's just that extra like... I want it. So getting on it this year was like extremely special.
SPEAKER_02:I'm very fortunate when I go to the state meet that I'm able to get down on the infield. The first thing that I notice is the race finishes and we win the state title is the three of you talking to Ava and really loving her up about being on that. And one of you actually said to her, you're going to be on the wall now. So for me as a guy that I love hanging those pictures on the wall. That will always stand out to me. That's really cool to see a group of girls support their teammate and say, hey, we did this, and now you're up there forever.
SPEAKER_03:30
SPEAKER_02:years from now, you're going to come back for your kid's basketball game, and you're going to be hanging on that
SPEAKER_01:wall. You look different, Mom. You don't look the same anymore. What
SPEAKER_02:happened? What's that mean to you to have that support from the other three sitting around you right now?
SPEAKER_03:Gosh, I would, I would not have made it on the team if it wasn't for them. Like they knew how bad I wanted it. And like Emma from the previous year, she just, she knows how, how bad I struggled in that year. And so I think just really having them lean in on like me and being like, you can do it. Like there was never a day where that it went by and it was like, they don't want me on this team. Like it was, they want me on the team. They know I can do it. And so like having their constant support it was just like really reassuring and it's like I do like I do belong on this team and like there's a reason for me to be on it and so just getting to do it with them was like amazing it was such a special occasion and something I'll never forget because
SPEAKER_00:they're my best friends
SPEAKER_01:there you
SPEAKER_00:go yeah I think one of the hardest things it can also be one of the best things though of this sport is there are so many ups and downs and things you can't control but When you have a team that you train with every single day, going through the ups and downs with, and you know, like you get so close and you get to know each other so well that you can know like what the other people need and help them so that everyone can become the best they can. And then when you achieve things like your goals or like one of you gets a PR or something, you can celebrate it and it's really special.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So this, you know, each other so close, you can kind of read each other on race day a little bit,
SPEAKER_00:huh?
UNKNOWN:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Emma, take us back to that race day. What was your guys' expectation going in? What were you thinking could happen?
SPEAKER_00:Well, we just went into it first knowing we won it last year, and I thought we were stronger than we were last year, and we just had that expectation that we needed to just go out there and just put our all into it so we could just get it done in a day and go out and win another state championship.
SPEAKER_01:And you have so much training. I mean, just rely on that. Do you guys have nerves on a big day like that, or do you get more calm? What's it like
SPEAKER_00:for you, Ellen? Oh, the
SPEAKER_01:nerves are there. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Because you have the confidence of knowing that, like, we had run that time. We had run. We were placed first. But then most of it's just execution. So, like, don't drop the baton. You need to not get stuck in the pack. So that kind of thing. But, yeah, race plan, not going out too fast, not going out too slow. But I guess that's what I worry about mostly is just, like, I know I can do it, but, like, actually doing it. Sometimes it's the hard part.
SPEAKER_01:And sometimes the best thing is just having the race start.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Because the mind is, there ain't no more worrying. Like, we're in it now. It started. And it was Oak
SPEAKER_02:Park, right, who went out real fast. Yeah. That first leg, like, whoa.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, so you had to hang back.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So I was actually, I had gotten sick, like, the Thursday before race.
SPEAKER_01:All these variables you can't control
SPEAKER_00:that are on race day, yeah. Friday, I stayed home from school, so I slept in. I ate all my normal food. I went in the Normatex, went to bed, because I was just hoping I would still feel better on Saturday. So Saturday, I woke up, and then I was talking to Kyle, and he was like, yeah, I'm going to have you and Mary Dalbo warm up with the rest of the team. She was your
SPEAKER_01:alternate or vice versa,
SPEAKER_00:right? Yeah, so then he was like, if you don't feel like you can run sub 220, then I'm going to put Mary in it. So I was like, I felt pretty good in the warm-up. So I was like, okay, I think I can do it. And I'm really glad I did because I ended up splitting a 215, I think.
SPEAKER_01:Hey, it's that sickness, Bill.
SPEAKER_02:A Michael Jordan flu game.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_02:Or bad pizza, whatever you
SPEAKER_01:want to call it. Yep. Sometimes when you have that sickness, it's just... Did you find that you just had to really just focus on simple things when you're running that?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Not feeling well? I changed up my race plan a little bit, or Kyle did. Yeah. Cause I had been going out previously in the season, going out too fast and then just not finishing well. So it was like, just go out state towards the middle to the back of the pack for like the first lap and then pretty much just kick. So that's what I did. And it worked.
SPEAKER_01:Ava, you're next.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:How were you on race day?
SPEAKER_03:Ooh, I was, I think I was kind of a nervous wreck. There's a lot of pressure you feel, but also like once I step on the track, I feel like I really like, enter this new like focus zone and it's like nothing's getting in my
SPEAKER_01:way once you start running it's on you know
SPEAKER_03:so then i see like ella coming down the straightaway and i was like all right it's time to go like if you feel good go but be smart don't kill yourself in the first like 200 meters and so i kind of hung with the pack and then it was like the last 200 it was like all right go like get this lead like try to open up a little bit of a gap going to emma so
SPEAKER_01:and emma got it Gets the baton.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. How was your day? Ava always does this thing where she like hands off to me and she's like, Emma, go. Oh, really?
SPEAKER_01:See,
SPEAKER_00:the cheerleader. You can't even help yourself.
SPEAKER_03:No,
SPEAKER_00:I can't. It just like gets me all fired up and then I'm just like grab the baton and I'm just like running on the straighter and I have like my eyes towards like the back of the Oak Park girls head and I'm just like that's all I'm focused on. You guys are really fun
SPEAKER_01:to watch run, by the way. Like you guys are all incredible athletes. Like you're moving and And just from a fan's point of view, it's really enjoyable to see you guys run. It's spectacular. So you have a good day.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I just remember like... Coming down, like, destroyed away on the first lap. And then I just start to pass the Oak Park girl. And, like, the crowd is, like, going crazy, especially. My mom's always so loud. Really? I've never
SPEAKER_01:heard
SPEAKER_00:of her before. I can always just, like, hear her just, like, screaming my name. And it just, like, yeah, it makes me, like, feel, like, really pumped up. And then I just remember passing her. So you
SPEAKER_01:heard your mom's name? You heard your mom's voice amongst all that
SPEAKER_00:big crowd? Yeah, definitely. That's awesome. Shout out to Marissa Gunner. Marissa Gunner. One
SPEAKER_02:of the nicest people I have ever met in my life.
SPEAKER_01:That's really great. And then, Colette, you teared up on that last
SPEAKER_00:drop of the hammer. I was definitely really nervous before, but I knew we had a really strong team and just tried to focus on execution. But when I was standing on the line... They all ran amazing, and I was so proud of them, and I was like, yes, I'm going to do this for them. It's going to be good. And then Emma, the Oak Park girl, went out really fast, but I was like, oh, she's got this. Even after the first lap, she started to slow down, and I was like, oh, yes, Emma. And then she handed me the ton, and then I think I went out a little bit fast, but most of the time I was just trying not to get caught. That's what I was thinking. I was like, keep going, keep your form, keep your speed up, just don't look back, and just hammer until the finish line. And
SPEAKER_01:you hammered it because it was a fairly large gap.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Eight
SPEAKER_01:seconds, I believe.
SPEAKER_03:Something like that. Yeah, that's a big distance on a track.
SPEAKER_02:So at Kentwood D1 state meet, they use the video board. When you're on that back straightaway, do you look at that board at all to see where the trail runner is? I
SPEAKER_00:think I might've one time, like in the second lap after I passed. And then you saw
SPEAKER_01:your mom on the screen.
SPEAKER_00:There's my mom. I mean, it's like helpful to look at the board just like, cause you have like no clue. I don't want to look back. Cause I feel like that always would like slow me down or something. So just being able to like, you know, look at it and like see that the gap is growing and just like, make myself like feel more confident so that, yeah, it helps.
SPEAKER_01:You know, it's funny as a fan, like when I'm watching track, I don't like, especially a race like that. I'm not watching the runners. I'm just kind of watching the gap and I'm just watching the gap is closing or if it's getting wider. I don't know if you ever do that when you're watching track meet.
SPEAKER_02:I'm just usually losing my mind, especially when the West Ottawa
SPEAKER_01:parking concessions.
SPEAKER_02:Well, no, by this time I'm in the, I'm in the track, I'm on the field and now it's just like, all right, we won. Now I got to get photos. I got to get things posted to social. And what's awesome is that I have all of these awesome friends, ADs in the area. We all are super tight because there's one of us at each school. So we rely on each other. And Tim Ritzma was kind of doing the announcing that day. He comes up to me. He's like, hey, do you want to hand out the medals for the four by eight? And I'm like, heck yeah, I do. So that kind of stuff for an AD is really special when I get to see my school and my girls up on that podium and then hand them the medals, that's a big deal for ADs.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's a big deal. Yeah. And it does show. I mean, you really do enjoy that moment. Oh, it's great. Of doing that with everybody. You know, that's the race you win that day. What does it feel like to actually pull something off? Like every athlete has a goal or I need to go do this or we want to do this. How enjoyable was the actual moment itself when you guys are, I mean, you all recollect, right? Everyone's done the race and you meet up again. What was that moment like, Ella?
SPEAKER_00:I got chills asking the question. I have goosebumps right now. Because it was us three. We're just watching Colette finish. And like for the last maybe like 200, we kind of knew she was going to, I mean, it wasn't for sure. We literally sat
SPEAKER_03:in a circle and prayed. And we were like, please just like get her to the end in first.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, that's great. Time does not matter. Like Justin first. Yeah. And I just remember just like jumping up and down and it was just like, right. She's all tired. Yeah. There's one picture. There's one picture. We're all like hugging each other that I love. And that's like basically what we do it for. I feel like, I mean, not all of it, but that's just the best part of it.
SPEAKER_01:And Emma, you as a senior, you mean getting it back to back? How rewarding is that for you?
SPEAKER_00:I mean, it was, like, crazy. I mean, like, I always, like, knew that we could do it, but then, like, seeing all, like, the hard work. It feels like we were training, like, for this moment, honestly, from, like, the summertime even. So just, like, yeah, seeing it just pay off is, like, incredible.
SPEAKER_02:And no pressure, but... Three of you are back.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Oh,
SPEAKER_02:here we
SPEAKER_01:go.
SPEAKER_00:It's already... Three in a row.
SPEAKER_01:Usually it's like the local newspaper. Can you win it again? Right after you won, they ask you, can you win it again? What about this one? We're on to the next. And now your AD went at you.
SPEAKER_02:Well, so the race ends. You have that moment. You're hugging each other. But then... you kind of get bombarded, right? Because you have state champs, Michigan is there and they want quotes and photos. You got Dandy Adonis down on the infield, the local guy from the Holland Sentinel. You've got an AD who's like trying to get your picture to post to the socials. What is that kind of like? Is it just coming at you so fast that you like just blank out and you just do the thing and then worry about other stuff later? These are great problems.
SPEAKER_03:I actually think We all just end up saying like really similar things because your mind is not there. Your mind is like, it's like you finish. It's like a weight lifted off your shoulders. And then all these people coming at you and you're like, yep, it was great. Let's, yeah, I'm tired now. And we're all just kind of repeating the same things, trying to get through it and stuff.
SPEAKER_01:I always think it's the worst sports question. Bill knows this because I've said this before. How does it feel? Well, how do you think it feels? We just won. It's a better question to ask, I think. Probably the tough part is answering that question, too. You
SPEAKER_00:know what's coming. It feels terrible, but it also feels great. Yeah,
SPEAKER_01:for sure. Go ahead, Ella.
SPEAKER_00:I just remember one question one of the reporters asked me was, what does it mean to be with a team or do it for each other? And I think that just helped me try to enjoy it a lot and recognize all the work we put in. Yeah. I just remember trying to enjoy it a lot. I was like, this is, this is why we ran it. You know,
SPEAKER_02:there's days upon days and hours upon hours, runs upon runs that just get stacked on top of each other to get you to that point. I mean, you all are cross country, you run indoor season, then you're in the outdoor season. Like it is literally the entire school year.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:You're training for
SPEAKER_01:that race. That particular day, that's where you won your state championship. You're doing lots of other things that day, right? You're in other races where you finished in different places. And then, Colette, you get to run the 800, and you win the state championship there. Was it after or before this one?
SPEAKER_00:It was after.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:It was, yeah, it was like a while after.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, like how long?
SPEAKER_00:Three hours? I had a decent amount of time. That's nice. I just remember being tired because then it got into the afternoon and it was hot. We were just sitting in the tank. We're not really supposed to walk around and do a bunch of stuff. I remember I was like, yeah, I'm going to take caffeine gum, which I usually don't use caffeine unless it's for big races. I use
SPEAKER_01:caffeine all the
SPEAKER_00:time. I just remember being tired and But before, I was super nervous. But Coach Kyle, before, there was this one race. It was called Under the Lights, but it wasn't Dark Out. But it was one meet, and it was my first time going in the 211s. And he was like, I think you should go out to win at state. And then, really, I knew there was good competition. It was a close finish. Yeah, but my main competition was Valerie Bee. She's a senior from Grand Haven. And she had run 210 earlier in the season, but she wasn't running her best at the end of the season. And she had run the mile earlier in the meet. So I was like, okay, she's going to be tired. She hasn't been doing super well. So my goal was to just get out, try to be in a good spot, which, you know, you never know what's going to happen.
SPEAKER_01:You got a good kick, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Yeah, that's kind of her thing. Yeah. So I'm honestly... Basically, my race plan went exactly as I kind of wanted it to. I was like, just get out, get kind of in a good spot. Don't get caught behind people. Stand outside for a little bit. And then I got behind Valerie. And the second 200 honestly did not feel very fast. We went out in 66, I think, which is a couple seconds slower than I usually go out. But then a couple people started to make moves at 400, and so that's when we actually started going faster. Yeah, started racing. I was just locked in on her back, on the back stretch. I was like, just stay with her, stay relaxed, keep your form. And then I got around the curve. I was like, okay, it's almost time to go. And then we got to the last 100. I was like, okay, you got to kick. And so then I was just trying to tell myself positive things, execute my form, just get to the finish line. And then she started faltering a little bit. I could tell she was... struggling a little bit. And so I was like, just keep going as hard as you can. And then I crossed the finish line and I honestly like didn't believe it. And I like, it was, yeah, it was a really great experience though.
SPEAKER_02:That day. So that's state championship Saturday. So I saw the four by eight. We had a doubles team that was in the state semifinal. So I busted over to Byron center. I'm getting texts from Kyle. He's like, Oh my gosh, Kyle, Well, I just won the 800. Helen wins the mile or two mile. So I'm busting back over to East Kentwood to catch the last race because at that point we still had a shot at being state runner up. And I wasn't able to get back down on the field because it was just too much commotion. But then as I'm like, I find out we finished third. Then I hop back in my car and I'm headed to rugby because rugby was in the state semifinals. So.
SPEAKER_01:That was a crazy day. Yeah, that's a crazy day. Let's head over to Franklin Field in Philadelphia. This is only, what, three weeks later? Something like that? Yeah. It's pretty quick. Tell us about what are you doing in between those weeks to prep for Philadelphia?
SPEAKER_00:Well, last year it was only two weeks, so we had extra time to prepare for this year. Honestly, it doesn't feel that much different from regular season. We're just training, doing the workouts. We're getting ready. a good like week or two of training in and then like we start tapering again for nationals like the last week
SPEAKER_01:are you guys like super pumped to head out was it so much fun to travel for your sport i mean you're going to a different bit nice big
SPEAKER_03:american city yeah it was so fun i have never got to experience it first year for you past like two years yeah i missed it the past two years from sickness and megan's injury and so i was like Three weeks, I literally was counting down the days. I was like, I'm so excited. I literally can't wait.
SPEAKER_01:Philly
SPEAKER_03:cheesesteak. Who even cares about the racing? I'm there for the Philly cheesesteak and the atmosphere. Do
SPEAKER_02:you guys drive out to that? Yeah. So across the PA Turnpike? America's worst road? Maybe. I don't know. You have no idea? I don't know.
SPEAKER_01:I'm chilling in that back seat. I got those headphones on. It's relaxing. Who all went? Because not just the four of you went. More of your teammates went, right? Yeah. Who went, Ella?
SPEAKER_00:It was us, and then Jane went for the four-by-mile. And then Mary Dauble went for the four-by-four. Who else? I think. Was that it? That was it.
SPEAKER_01:That was it. And all your families went along. And then that was, for the Wirks, that was your third time going.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And then. That was my second time. Your second time. You guys enjoyed the city when you were there? I know you had done it more. Yeah. So when I talked to your mom, she said, hey, we had already done most of that. So we kind of hunkered up in our room or whatever and had their pre-made meals or whatever. Which is smart as an athlete. You don't want to be hitting that Philly cheesesteak for the oil. But did you have fun in the city? What was that like
SPEAKER_00:for you guys? Well, we had our off day on Saturday, right? So we got to, you know, we explored the city. We went shopping. There's so many stores down there. And that was so fun. We all went as a team to go get philly cheesesteaks at like the the famous places there's like the two and like opposites yeah the opposite corners or whatever and then yeah we said they're opposite
SPEAKER_01:corners i don't know
SPEAKER_00:this yeah this is cool right across the street from each other so we all got like a picture did
SPEAKER_01:you all go to one or did some go
SPEAKER_00:to the other we all went to one okay kyle let's let's do
SPEAKER_01:our own little comparison here yeah
SPEAKER_02:I'm from Baltimore, so I have a hatred for Philly, but it's just what it is. That's all right. It's East Coast. You don't have a hatred for food, though. No. I do love a good cheese steak.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we all do. When you go there, are you competing as West Ottawa or as the Shore Club?
SPEAKER_00:No, it's Shore Track Club.
SPEAKER_01:Shore Track Club. Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, MHSA rules would not allow us to compete as West Ottawa.
SPEAKER_00:But it's fun because we can make colorful outfits and Kyle will print the logo on them.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I did notice that. I thought that was really fun that you guys were able to do that. Able to kind of do that. And you guys have that entrance thing that you did too. Oh, yeah. Tell me about that. You guys definitely... Did some choreography. That
SPEAKER_03:was so fun. Me and Emma were definitely like pushing it. We were like, we're going to have like we're going to have good intros. We're working on it like a week in advance. I think we didn't end up doing it until like the day before. We were like hyping it up and we're like, all right, we're going to do this, this and this. And Collette and I were like, sure, let's do it. We're down. And they're like, just place us and we'll do it. And we're like, all right. So before the four by mile, us three and Jane were out. behind like the field doing strides and we're like practicing walking up and like hitting our pose and we had Kyle like take a video of us so we could like get the vibe and we're like yep this is the one and so we were just coming up with a different day and it was kind of like a fun and then once you got on the track it was like
SPEAKER_01:alright you guys definitely had fun you guys when I was watching online which I did I didn't know that was coming up so I'm kind of like scrolling through the video to see oh And then I saw you guys kind of pop out into your thing. I'm like, oh yeah, this
SPEAKER_00:is a good time. That was really, really fun. Well, like the last year we went for the forebite, we didn't like barely even know that we were doing intros. So we had no clue what we were doing like first year. And then we learned for like the DMR after we did a little post, but this year, yeah, we wanted to be prepared. So we like, yeah, we're planning it out, you know, just having fun with it. And I feel like it's like a fun thing to get the nerves off. Cause we're all like waiting in this like tunnel before we have to like go step out and do like the intros and then go onto the track. So it's like, fun to just like take the nerves off and oh yeah practice the poses and
SPEAKER_01:stuff and we'll see
SPEAKER_03:the bullpen and so it's a little freaky
SPEAKER_01:do that again
SPEAKER_03:they call it the bullpen and so you're sitting in there you're like oh gosh like Everybody's nervous in here. You can just like feel the like tension. It's big time. This is big time. You walk in like we always say the hour before is like the worst hour. Like it's worse than the race because your mind is just racing. And so you're sitting in there and you're just like they're in because they hold you for a while. Like 20 or 24 minutes. You're just sitting there. And you're sitting there and there's like you're constantly going to the bathroom. There's a bathroom in there. Thank goodness. So there's athletes going back and forth, back and forth through the bathroom. And it's just the nerves are like you can just feel them.
SPEAKER_02:Is it pretty warm there? At that point of the year, East Coast heat and humidity
SPEAKER_00:is a little bit different. Yeah, there was like that heat wave and stuff. So on Sunday, yeah, it was like 90 degrees. But thankfully, it rained before the DMR. So then it actually cooled down a lot. But for our 4x4, we had to stand out in the field for like 20 minutes. I just remember it was like 100 degrees. I was like feeling so faint. It was just the sun was just like pounding down. Yeah,
SPEAKER_01:that's tough conditions for sure. And that's outdoor track right there. Right. At its best. You guys are doing lots of different events while you're there. Right. The four by eight is not the only thing you do. You run an eight fifty nine point six four. So this is a really big. I mean, you break nine minutes. Tell us about that race, Colette. I mean, I watched it online later. We talked about this in the hall before we got started. So anyways, IMG wins it. And if you watch it online, they just have the camera on them the whole stinking way. So I was like, really?
SPEAKER_02:IMG plays by a little bit different rules than we
SPEAKER_00:play
SPEAKER_02:by. They get people from all over
SPEAKER_00:the country. So that one, I think we raced at like 8, 10 or something. It was a little bit later. It wasn't actually dark out. That's not a bad
SPEAKER_01:time to run.
SPEAKER_00:No, it was pretty good because by then it's a little bit cooler too. But I don't even remember what order we went in. I know I was first. I mean, I went
SPEAKER_03:second. Yeah, I was third that day,
SPEAKER_00:and you
SPEAKER_03:were fourth.
SPEAKER_00:I just remember, like, being on the line, and everyone did so good. Like, you can just tell how people– like, you don't even know the time, but you can just tell if someone feels good or if they're running fast. And I just– and we were in– we were in third, I think, when I got it, and then I was– There was a group of you. Just stay behind this one girl. I think she had a yellow jersey. That's what I remember. She didn't go out very fast and I was a little worried that other people were going to catch us. But I was like, just be smart. Don't make a move in the first 200 meters. And then we got to 400 or 600 and like in between. And then I was like, okay, you got to start going. And then the last like 200, I passed her right before the, right before the turn. And then just hammered to the finish line again. I was like, we're actually in second right now. This is crazy. They had the
SPEAKER_01:camera shot when I was watching it from like you running toward me. And I just remember, all right, here comes IMG. There they go. And then all of a sudden this big group comes by and then you're just this fierce, warrior competitor coming down the stretch there.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. I think part of it is the night before we got ninth, right? Ninth in the four by mile. He didn't like that. We were not happy with that. Like we went in with high expectations for the four mile. So doing that was like extremely disappointing in a way. I mean, it's hard to say extremely disappointing when you get ninth in the nation, but it was to us. And so the next day it was like, we were all three just like on fire. We're like, we're getting all American. It doesn't matter. Like, do you
SPEAKER_01:think like the first race was more just kind of getting used to the atmosphere or what do you
SPEAKER_03:think? Like a lot. Right. And so it was, yeah. Day after the car. So it was a little, a little rough, but the
SPEAKER_01:thing is right top, Top five become All-Americans. So you're hoping to get that. I talked to your coaches. When we went there, we were just hoping to get All-American in something. And then maybe the one you think you're going to get it in passes you by. So you all kind of had that inner, we're going to go get this on the second time around.
SPEAKER_00:No, I think it's almost hard because a lot of people just go there either hoping, just being glad to run there or hoping to get All-American, which we were last year. But then it's just... We were ranked second in the 4x, so it was almost just having to push to be the next level of getting second and not just settling. That's actually almost hard.
SPEAKER_01:It was just amazing to pull that off at a place like that. Big stage. Then you do more stuff too, though, which is what I really like. This is like wrapping up a Christmas present and everything is perfect when you open it. You guys run the DMR. I just picked that lingo up from you because you just said it. I would have said the distance medley relay. But that's not a standard event in the MHSAA, right? This is a funner thing you can do. It's funner, man. No, tell us about it.
SPEAKER_00:Well, yeah, it is fun to do because we only get to do the DMR in either indoor state season or postseason because they don't have it for the regular high school season. I feel like it's a really fun event because everyone gets to do a different... distance per leg and then I think I got to do the 400 so it's fun to just like rip a lap and then like what are the different
SPEAKER_01:distances that everybody did so you did four and
SPEAKER_00:you ripped a lap that's pretty fun yeah I got to run a PR I think it's 1200 1200 which Collette did and
SPEAKER_03:then 400 800 mile yeah uh-huh and
SPEAKER_01:Did you guys finish? You just said it. You said a PR, but who else said PRs, Emma?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, everyone did. We all ran crazy amazing on each leg. Colette took us out so strong, and I think we were in third or something like that. Yeah, I just kept it, and then Ella ran a really, really good 800 leg and just kept us in the race, and then Ava just went and battled it out with this one girl. They're just neck and neck, just like going back and forth. And it was crazy. And like, we're all just cheering so strong for like, during so loud for her. And like, we could tell she was like feeling strong. Cause she gets that little, that look on her face. She's just like so determined. You can like see the fire in her eyes. And like, are you guys able to
SPEAKER_01:imitate the look? Have you been able to do that? What's the
SPEAKER_03:look? It's literally just like I dead stare in someone's back. My eyes don't move. Her teeth are just like gritted. And she's just like, you can tell I'm in the pain cave. But like nothing's like I'm like so laser focused on someone in front of me.
SPEAKER_02:That's really great. So you all walk away as all Americans.
SPEAKER_00:What's
SPEAKER_02:that mean to add that to your list of accolades for your high school running careers?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think it's just the next level because I feel like most schools and teams don't make it to national levels. So it's just kind of cool and almost unexpected. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And you can't beat that T-shirt,
SPEAKER_02:by the way.
SPEAKER_01:This is a podcast and it's not a video one. But when you walked in the building today and I like the other T-shirts, don't get me wrong, but that New Balance National All-American T-shirt. Is what they say fire? Is that what we're still saying? Straight fire, bro. Yeah, so it's a great... Sorry, you were... Continue if you want.
SPEAKER_03:I feel like a state championship is so special and amazing, but then getting to do it on the national level where the entire U.S. is watching you. Well, the people that are in the running community are watching you, and people are watching from home. And so it's just like it's really like that extra... we've put in the work, it's really paying off. Especially when you all go and drop some seconds off your times.
SPEAKER_00:It's just really cool to be there and be in the stadium. All the intros and even preparing for it too, just with the team. I think relays are so much more fun than individual events. A couple of us could have run individual events, but we didn't because relays are more important and it's a lot more fun to do with your team too. Preparing for that and then it's also really cool to be able to be like, okay, we're ranked... this let's go try to get it instead of just being like there to run you got you're actually competing for something and like we didn't like totally know for the DMR like where we were at because Kyle was talking to like us before and he was like you could get 10th you could get second like we don't know so just like go out and you know give it your all and then Like, yeah, being able to get third was so crazy. And then we also got, like, the state record, which is even crazier.
SPEAKER_01:That's right.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think, I mean, honestly, like, Ava, like, her mile, like, was amazing. Because, like, before we had Helen and, like, we didn't, like, totally know how it was going to go for, like... the mile, but then she went out and got a four-second PR. A four-second
SPEAKER_03:PR? Good
SPEAKER_01:thing it rained. I am.
SPEAKER_03:We
SPEAKER_00:totally weren't expecting to get a state record or anything, but then we broke it by two seconds. It was crazy.
SPEAKER_02:Emma, that's like the cherry on top of the high school career for you, right? You get to go run with your friends, earn All-American honors on top of a state title. What's that kind of like as you've Now you're stepping away and you're going to Grand Valley. What's it like to kind of have that? I
SPEAKER_00:mean, it's definitely, like, a lot of good memories. I, like, every year getting to go to nationals was, like, so special for me. And, like, getting to, like, you know, spend that time with, like, my best friends and stuff. It was amazing. And, like, just being able to cap off the season with, like, that, like, great accomplishment. And, like, yeah, getting to be two-time All-American that year is crazy.
SPEAKER_01:You are our... I'm not going to say youngest, but the quickest alum to come back on the 29th. So we've had other athletes come in and they walk the halls and yeah, man, I used to be here. It used to be my every day. You're like out of here for two years. I mean, not for two years, two months. And now you're back here, but you know, off you go. For the rest of you, she's graduating, she's left. You're going to move up to juniors and seniors. Specifically, what has Emma kind of meant to you just for each of you as a teammate, and we'll just kind of go around the horn here.
SPEAKER_00:No, yeah, she's definitely been a really good role model. I feel like she's always just calm and prepared. She's just, like, confident in herself and her abilities, and I think that's almost rubbed off on me and the rest of the team. So, yeah, she's just been a really fun individual, too. Like, she helps everybody. She's just fun to race against, honestly. Competitive. But yeah, she knows when to have fun, but also when to get serious. And we've made a lot of great memories. I think all the state championships and nationals, we've been on the same relay. So next year is going to be sad. Like this year. But yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I think it's safe to say Emma's literally my best friend. I spend so much time with her. We always joke that we're like sisters now because we fight and argue like sisters. It's not all friendly. We get on each other's nerves.
SPEAKER_01:Move over, Wirks.
SPEAKER_03:We got an argument. We definitely have our moments, but I mean, she's literally shaped me into the person I am today. I would not be as calm, cool, and collected as I am without her. She definitely teaches that, but also her leadership skills. She can be quiet, but she has... when she speaks up, you know, when to listen. And we talked
SPEAKER_01:about that quiet, that quiet leadership is the strongest. Yeah. We were talking about
SPEAKER_03:that at camp, that quiet leadership is the strongest. Yeah. And Emma's definitely one when she speaks up, it's definitely important to listen. And she's taught me a lot of things that I know and has given me so much good advice throughout the years and like getting to be on these relays with my best friend and like see our accomplishments. Like there is that competitiveness between us, but like, It's a good, healthy
SPEAKER_01:business. Oh, you need that. Yeah,
SPEAKER_00:for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you got to compete all the time.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I'm really grateful to have been on all these relays and on this team with you for two years. It feels so much longer than that. It's crazy because going on this team as a freshman, there were a lot of really good runners. And there still are, but there's the big senior class and everything. But she was so welcoming. And you know she always supports you. And it's just... great to practice with, great to race with. I love being on her team. And she's always supporting you. And I'm so excited to see what she has coming for her. And that's why
SPEAKER_01:it's important to be a good mama duck.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. And I get to pass that role on to Ava.
SPEAKER_02:And now you go to Grand Valley and you get to meet up with one of your former teammates. Yeah, Megan. You're reunited with Megan again. And obviously, ladies, you're going to be spending a lot of time with Postmas, right? Oh, yeah. Heather, joining the squad as a coach. What's that, Emma, look like for you as you go to Grand Valley? Is it comforting knowing that you have somebody there that you can kind of lean on?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. I actually ran into Ava and Megan running. They're doing like a workout and then I was just like running by and then Megan's like, oh, I have to do that workout too. So we got to like do it together like a few weeks ago. So it was like fun to get to like talk to her about, you know, what we're going to be like up to at Grand Valley. And this weekend we have like our camp thing. So we get to go out and then I get to like talk to, you know, all the team more. So it's going to be fun to like get to bond with them all and like also the new freshmen.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, the next stage, next season of your athletic career begins.
SPEAKER_02:And then, girls, the season for you is here. Yeah. We're a couple days in to fall practice. Headed to Benzie on the 23rd first race. And then Saturday, September 6th, one of my favorite events on the annual sports calendar at West Ottawa, the Breidaway Invitational. This year with the addition of food trucks. Mm-hmm. Oh, really? What do you got? What are you bringing in? Upgraded. What's coming in? We've got donut truck. We've got a barbecue spot coming in. A couple of others. So those will be positioned kind of behind those visitor stands on that little parking lot there. Again, braid-away is one of those things we just try to raise the bar every year, make it a little bit bigger. There's a lot of teams coming. It's going to be a pretty busy weekend over there on campus, but I love that event. Oh, yeah, for sure. It's a long day at Kennedy Crossing.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:The stern Bill Kennedy. Hope for good weather because there's been a couple of years where it's been pretty brutal out there. Well, we're going to finish up. Thank you so much for coming in. It's always like a treat for us to get to know you a little bit, and it's nice for the community as well to hear your voices and your experience of what you've done. We just really want to thank you for stopping by.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so thankful for you all carving out some time. I know you're all very busy.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Thanks so much for coming in. And remember, everybody,
SPEAKER_00:we are a community. We are each other.
SPEAKER_01:Let's go. All right. Thanks, you guys. We appreciate
SPEAKER_00:it. Thank you.
